Our sustainability vision
At IFFR, we embrace our responsibility to address the pressing climate and ecological emergencies, recognising the urgent need to reduce our ecological footprint and transition into a more sustainable festival. We aim to lead by example, drive positive change and establish ourselves as a frontrunner in the film festival landscape. To achieve this, we are committed to better defining our footprint and setting comprehensive sustainability targets that go beyond just CO2 emissions.
Our vision encompasses not only minimising environmental impact but also influencing behavioural change during the festival. By fostering awareness about environmental issues and sharing our knowledge, we want to inspire our audiences and industry partners to adopt more sustainable practices and join us in our collective efforts towards a more environmentally conscious future.
We believe that tackling the greatest challenges demands a collaborative, sector-wide approach, and we are dedicated to engaging with all stakeholders to work towards our shared goal. In line with our commitment to sustainability, we are eager to collaborate with local and regional partners for production and expertise on implementing eco-friendly practices. By doing so, we can further reduce our ecological impact and contribute to the development of a greener, more sustainable festival experience.
Achievements
- IFFR has a Green Team that is preparing a comprehensive long-term sustainability strategy and roadmap.
- IFFR has conducted a zero base measurement analysis.
- IFFR has a Climate Conscious Certification, awarded by Coolset, in recognition of our sustainability efforts.
- IFFR is in contact with other festivals and organisations on implementing green policies, sharing knowledge and adopting better practices.
- During IFFR 2023 we
- slightly reduced food waste, introducing a new voucher system
- re-used a substantial portion of materials from previous festivals for styling locations and city dressing, including reusing 100% of flags from previous years and dressing WORM with vintage props
- replaced the traditional paper voting card with an advanced online voting tool for the audience award
- cut our car service usage by over 50%.
Ambitions & timeline
We hold ambitious aspirations for sustainability and are currently focussed on prioritising goals within the realms of travel and transport (encompassing our vehicle operations and the transportation of materials and individuals) as well as materials and waste. We have chosen these areas as our top priorities as we firmly believe they’re where we can make the most significant impact and effectively implement transformative changes. Our commitment to sustainability is embodied in the objectives that can be seen below for the period spanning from 2024 to 2027.
By the next edition (2024), we want to:
- Advocate with staff and partners to make use of green energy
- Reduce overall materials used
- Make our production of merch more sustainable where possible
- Reduce flights from international festival guests to and from the festival within Europe by 20% (in relation to 2023)
- Increase the proportion of train travel (from our international festival guests as well as visitors)
By 2025, we want to:
- Reduce our food waste by 20%
- Reduce flights within Europe by 20% (in relation to 2024)
By 2026, we want to:
- Have fossil free transport (within Rotterdam) by IFFR
- All merch made out of fully circular or recycled materials
- Reduce flights within Europe by 30% (in relation to 2024)
By 2027, we want to:
- Produce zero food waste
- Reduce flights within Europe by 40% (in relation to 2024)
IFFR is...
IFFR is all about film. But not just about film.
